Prospects for the growth of tourist flow from China discussed at the Russian-Chinese Forum in Khabarovsk

Prospects and challenges for the Russian tourism industry were discussed at the session "Bridges of Friendship: Cooperation between Russia and China in Tourism". It took place at the Russian-Chinese Forum, which is taking place in Khabarovsk on May 19-20.

The panelists discussed the preferences of tourists from China, the need to prepare infrastructure and create new points of attraction in the Russian Far East, including the Khabarovsk Territory.

"Over the past few years, Russia has made a major breakthrough in the development of travel and leisure facilities. In 2024, more than 90 million people traveled across Russia, which is 7 million more than in 2023. The Far East has become the leader among the federal districts in terms of the growth of tourist flow. At the same time, the foreign tourist flow is recovering, and last year the number of foreign tourists increased by 30% to 5 million compared to 2023. The largest number of foreign tourists came from China – 1.1 million. The Khabarovsk Territory is actively working: a new international airport terminal is ready, new hotels are being built, points of attraction are opening, for example, glamping sites. In addition, Khabarovsk has become comfortable for tourists. All this contributes to the growth of the tourist flow from China," said Dmitry Vakhrukov, Deputy Minister of Economic Development of Russia.

According to him, the number of foreign tourists in the Khabarovsk Territory has tripled over the past year. An entry point for Chinese tourists traveling in the Far East and Russia as a whole is being formed in the region. Regulatory mechanisms, visa-free exchanges and infrastructure development provide positive dynamics.

Experts noted that it is necessary to develop the Russian tourism brand, taking into account the peculiarities of the foreign market, primarily China.

"Chinese tourists currently occupy the first place among foreign tourists who visit Russia. Nevertheless, there are about 144 million tourists from China who travel around the world. So far, we can accept only 1 million of this number. This shows that we have a huge potential in this area, and we need to work in this direction. The Chinese tourist is changing, and we need to adapt to him when forming tourist products. He is getting younger, prefers outdoor activities, all kinds of adventures and authentic experiences that a different culture can give. A Chinese tourist goes for new experiences and content for social networks, targeting bloggers or influencers. We can base our products on natural sites, culture, ethnic diversity, historical monuments, geographical proximity, transport accessibility and gastronomic experiences in order to become attractive to the Chinese tourist," said Ilya Umansky, President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry.

The session also discussed the need for government regulation to ensure fair competition between Russian and Chinese tour operators, priority projects for the Khabarovsk Territory's tourism industry, and prospects for increasing the flow of tourists from China to the region after the new checkpoint on Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island.

"The number of Chinese tourists has been steadily growing since the pandemic, including in Fuayun. Against this background, we want to develop and create travel products together with Khabarovsk Krai. Chinese tourists who come to Fuayun can also visit Khabarovsk. At the moment, we are actively thinking about possible tourist routes with the Khabarovsk Territory, including visa-free ones. It is important to have the necessary infrastructure, and the establishment of a checkpoint on Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island will play a major role. The points of attraction for Chinese travelers will be the nature and culture of Russia," said Zheng Shui, Mayor of the Fuyuan City People's Government.

The theme of the Russian-Chinese forum is "Bolshoy Ussuriysky: cooperation in the joint development of the island." Its program includes more than 30 themed venues, cultural and sporting events. More than three thousand applications for participation were received from representatives of business, government authorities and creative industries from Russia and China.

The Russian-Chinese Forum is organized by the Government of the Khabarovsk Territory with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of the Russian Federation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, JSC Corporation for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, VEB.RF. The operator is the Roscongress Foundation.